‘If we knock out Manchester United, it will be a double personal satisfaction’: Philippe Coutinho says time at Liverpool gives him extra motivation for Barcelona Champions League tie
- Philippe Coutinho returns to Old Trafford with Barcelona on Wednesday night
- Former Liverpool star is certain to receive a hostile reception from United fans
- But the Brazilian insists he will used the stick as added motivation to win
- Barcelona would face Liverpool in the Champions League semi-finals if they win
Philippe Coutinho intends to use the stick he’ll receive at Old Trafford next week as added motivation to dump Manchester United out of the Champions League.
The former Liverpool player returns to England in the colours of Barcelona for Wednesday night’s Champions League quarter-final, first leg.
Coutinho is all-too-aware that he and Luis Suarez, another former Anfield favourite, will get ‘special’ treatment from a febrile Old Trafford crowd.
Philippe Coutinho is expecting a hostile reception when he visits Old Trafford with Barcelona
The Brazilian on the ball during Barcelona’s 2-0 league win over Atletico Madrid on Saturday
But the Brazilian insists it won’t affect his performance in the slightest and revealed he has received plenty of good luck messages from Liverpool fans.
‘It won’t make any difference to me. And, even more than that, it is an incentive to play better and to be even more focused,’ he told the Sunday Mirror.
‘I know that games against Manchester United are special. I learned what they meant during my time at Liverpool when we lived it so intensely with the fans.
‘I have that nailed in my memory and, even though this is a different stage, if Barcelona knock United out of Europe, it will be a double personal satisfaction for me.’
However, one consequence of Barcelona getting the better of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United is that they would face Liverpool in the semi-finals assuming the Reds overcome Porto.
Coutinho scores for Liverpool at Old Trafford in the Europa League contest back in 2016
Luis Suarez, another former Liverpool star, celebrates scoring against Atletico on Saturday
Coutinho added: ‘I know that Liverpool supporters will be with us at United.
‘But they know that later we could see them at Anfield and then, of course, I will be there with Barcelona wanting to win.
‘It would be a dream to play at Anfield again, an explosion of different feelings, I’m sure.
‘But I have to be honest and say I would have preferred to meet Liverpool only in the final itself.’
Barcelona, who defeated Atletico Madrid 2-0 on Saturday evening to establish an 11 point lead at the top of La Liga, will certainly offer formidable opposition for United.
Solskjaer’s team enter the fixture off the back of three defeats in their last four matches.
